When I opened the box and held the knife in my hand for the very first time, I thought "Damn those scales have sharp edges." And they do. When its new, it has a lot of tiny sharp pointy edges where the scales were machine cut. Fortunately they wear down and smooth out and the knife is very comfortable in my hand now.

The blade is very impressive. I bought the big one to replace a CRKT M16 that I carried for 16 years and gave to my nephew. I wanted a little flash and like you, loved the look of this knife.

But the handsomeness of the weapon is nothing compared to how robust this monster folder is. I actually considered buying a belt sheath for it and carrying it open in the sheath. It would look awesome carried like that.

The blade is thick, like industrial thick, but the grind is a flat taper that starts about halfway down from the top of the steel. Gimping is short, sharp and works well. I polished the tapered section my blade with some rouge with my power drill and man is it gorgeous. The bearings are silky smooth and the blade pops into position with a nice, masculine thunk.

The design of the handle, the ergonomics of it, is excellent. If you ever have to fight someone with this knife, it will serve you very well. Your grip will remain strong and stabilized, even if wet, and the heel of the handle will concentrate a decisive punch to any boney mass.

This knife looks like an art piece, but its really a working knife. I can see it getting a lot of use around the farm, and riding in the pocket into town that night, ready to dazzle the lesser mortals who flip Spyderco's.

The one bad decision CRKT made was the belt clip. I have enjoyed Coke's that came in stronger aluminum than the steel used for this belt clip. Its like a bad joke. I can easily, almost without effort, bend it. My one-year old can bend it. Seriously. CHEAP. How that clip ever made it out of design approval I will never know, but CRKT owes all owners a free upgrade. And CRKT, if you don't know how to make a good clip, ask Kershaw to make one for you. I have three of theirs and they are all grade A. Yours is a C-. D, really. Yours is the mere idea of a clip. Kershaw gives us the reality of a strong clip, properly designed.

Have the serrated version and love it also, so I bought the sister version. Smooth opening with a great edge. Love the look

The CRKT Fossil 5470 has a way of seeming small for a fairly large knife, certainly when you consider the substantial blade it it produces. This knife was purchased to be my EDC and also the "nicest" knife I have bought for myself. With respect of my review cred, consider my previous EDC's over the past decade in order have been CRKT M-16, Spyderco Tenacious, and Kershaw Leek. I'm not a high-end knife guy, but my knives are used and well maintained for EDC, backpacking, farming tasks, defensive mode, and of course opening retail packaging.

Somehow the stout blade of the Fossil has a way of feeling smaller and less obtrusive in my pocket than my Kershaw Leek. Obviously the Leek is much smaller, but the Fossil just has a way of disappearing from my mind when carried yet is always ready to be deployed when needed. I give this knife a high rating for allowing me to tote such a large piece of razor sharp steel and hardly even notice its weight or volume in my pants.

Aesthetically the knife is sexy. Everyone can see that and everyone that sees it in person has said the same. If you prefer a more discreet knife presentation, then the large blade can be a bit of a shocker for some. The satin polish on the business end does have classy contours that doesn't scream "tacky-zombie-skull-rape" implement. My opinion is that it bridges a gap between gentleman's knife and tactical folder.

The knife is very sharp and seems to hold an edge well. I haven't had the time to put it through its paces, but I haven't needed to sharpen it yet, as naturally I use my new knife every chance I get. The opening is butter smooth and addictive to flick open as other reviewers have commented. The lock up is very sturdy when deployed. It was actually a little tough to disengage the liner lock at first, nearly causing a chipped thumbnail, but it seems to have smoothed out now.

My only complaint at this time would be that the pocket clip is a little loose for retention in the pocket. I was working under my Jeep and found that the knife had slid out of my pocket when i was wiggling around on my back for a while. So I'll need to remove the clip, bend the clip towards the knife body and then it should create an adequate pinch and not fall out again.

I had seen this knife for sale in a local Sportsmans Warehouse and discovered it had made its way into a Christmas stocking a year ago. Retired Marine Corps, I have carried (and used it) daily since then. I'm generally rather tuff on stuff, and I was so impressed with it that I bought one this year for my son, who now carries it as part of his daily duties with the Marine Corps as well. The knife is dependable, durable, and built tough. The handle material provides excellent grip regardless of whether it is covered in sweat, mud, yard debris, or grease. The knife fits well regardless of your hand size, and is also at home if you are wearing gloves. It has a heft and weight that lets you know it is well-made from quality materials.... it is not a $5 flea market special. The blade holds an edge very well, and it can be opened easily with one hand...but there is enough hinge tension that it will not pop open on its own. I will probably purchase another of these, not because I expect to need one in the near future, but because I want to ensure I have a replacement in the event they are ever discontinued.

Knife was awesome